Douching or the method of injecting liquid or semi-liquid, powdery or herbal substances into the vagina may have been an age-old practice in many cultures for various reasons. Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate trends of douching practices in Zaria, Northwest Nigeria, and their association with vaginal infection among pregnant Hausa-Fulani women. Research Design: This health facility-based study was a descriptive cross-sectional study, with bacterial vaginosis and other vaginal flora laboratory review.
Results: 85.5 percent of the 220 participants committed to daily douching
activities. Using hand to inject plain water (80.0 percent), injection of
toilet soap (55.0 percent), using hot water plus disinfectant/salt/black soap
(18.6 percent), and using a jet or stream of water (8.6 percent) were
frequently known showering methods. During bathing (69.5 percent), after
passing urine (34.1 percent), during sexual intercourse (16.4 percent), before
sexual intercourse (5.9 percent) and at every other time (6.8 percent),
repeated douching was associated with douching. Pregnant women who use fingers
to shower to insert plain water were more than 11⁄2 times more likely to Bacterial
vaginosis (χ2=1.30, P-value=0.25, OR=1.67, 95% CI: 0.69, 4.09) and bacterial
vaginosis is approximately 31⁄2 times more likely to occur after sexual
intercourse (χ2=8.88, P-value=0.003, OR=3.42, 95% CI: 1.47, 7.93). In subjects
aged Bacterial vaginosis positive women aged 30-34 years (100.0%) and those
aged 35-39 years (75.0%) respectively, douching during bathing and after sexual
intercourse was more common. Conclusions: In the Hausa-Fulani ethnic group in
Nigeria, the practice of douching was common. The Hausa-Fulani ethnic group in
Nigeria is just one out of hundreds of ethnic groups, and the results of this
study do not generally relate to douching or vaginal infection activities in
other ethnic groups or other geo-political locations in the world. For
successful monitoring, education, and management of the female genital tract,
additional studies are desirable to validate douching practices and different
vaginal pathologies. In the future, a prospective study to look at the effect
of douching on the outcome of pregnancy is desirable.
Author (s) Details
Victor
D. Ajayi
Department of Obstetrics and
Gynecology, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital Shika-Zaria, Nigeria and
Nordica Fertility Centre, Lagos, Nigeria.
Health, Environment and Development Foundation, 34, Montgomery Road, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria.
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